This Arrangement

But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.–Ephesians 4:7

Is the Apostle Paul here speaking of all Christians in general, or to those who hold offices in the Church, like that of Prophet, Apostle, Evangelist, Pastor, and Teacher?

There is no question whatsoever grace is given to all Christians, else they would not be Christians. The entire Church abides in His mercy from everlasting, all the while enduring tribulation.

But the Apostle Paul, by the Holy Spirit, is teaching you to be mindful of order in the Church, so that we do not become subject to chaos and confusion. There is good reason, for example, why everyone is not a teacher. What a mess we would have if all of us asserted authority and had the same words all at the same time!

There is this glorious arrangement in the Church, even though by all appearance She is frail and weak, that one LORD, one Faith, and one Baptism are applied to poor sinners. This arrangement is Christ’s gift, given according to measure. It is the nature of measurement that all units and quantities are not the same.

Does this surprise you? Does it cause you to take up pride or despair? May it not be so. There are workers in the Vineyard who come early and workers who come late. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. It is all good, for you are the recipient of a New Creation to be received by faith.

Those who labor with Christ’s gift - His gift being His crucified and risen body for the forgiveness of sins - are laboring for you by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, not to assert themselves as better, but because your Father in Heaven is not of a mind to give you a Church confounded and scattered about, but a Church that is the Body of Christ, made of many members of varying measures and qualities, so that grace and peace may be multiplied to you along with His entire creation.
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Tax Collectors and Sinners

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick.–Matthew 9:11:12

The Great Physician lays to rest any questions or concerns regarding Who He is and what He does. He is the Savior given for poor sinners who are subject to every rack and ruin earned by virtue of natural birth from the flesh of the first Adam.

You’ve seen how the world points at the Church and says: “That’s where the good people go.” You’ve also been subject to programs and teachings that affirm the same notion.

But this is a perversion. The Church is where sick people go, and they remain under Her care because only in the Great Physician may true healing be found, whether it be temporal or eternal.

Matthew had the same sickness you have. His eyes and heart were constantly drawn toward stuff. With lots of stuff comes power and influence. Forgetting that all things are given from Above out of an abundance of grace, Adams’ heirs seize upon the creation and cling to it, using it as not only a way to gain the favor of men, but to flee any thoughts regarding accountability toward the Creator.

But the Creator chose to sit down with this bunch of greedy hoarders and eat with them. Setting aside His glory and majesty, refraining from judgment, being your Father in Heaven, He takes time to meet you; to speak with you; to admonish you. Not only so, but He took the judgment you deserve and absorbed it into His own body on the Cross.

Now raised from the dead to live and rule as your Savior and King, along with Matthew and all the saints, He gently leads you in the paths of righteousness so that you do not make the mistake of clinging to this world’s stuff, but gradually grow in grace. This is His greatest joy and delight.
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Thrusting and Pushing

"Because you push with side and with shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns until you have scattered them abroad, therefore, I will deliver My flock, and they will no longer be a prey; and I will judge between one sheep and another. –Ezekiel 34:21-22

What sort of pushing and thrusting is the Prophet Ezekiel referring to here? In short, it is anything and everything in the way of life and instruction that leads away from peace and rest in Christ Jesus.

Obviously the world is one aspect of this, for it knows nothing of divine authority and hankers for your attention, serving as a distraction.

But it is even worse when those who set themselves up as teachers use the Word of God not as a proper source of instruction unto eternal life, but as a bludgeon to turn you inward; as a rule book so that you might comply to an appearance of righteousness, while all the time being robbed of peace in Christ Jesus.

To be sure, pricks of conscience and genuine terrors attend to those who live in the fear of the LORD, but it is your Good Shepherd’s aim to deliver His flock, not to fleece it, terrorize it, grub and grab for attention, and make a show of faith and life.

Look no further than the patient teaching and admonition of Christ Jesus to be relieved from all the anxiety other teachers would like to heap on you, as if to say, “If you pray just this way, and just this often, all will be well,” or, “If you just meditate a little harder and a little longer, you will have peace with God.” This is thrusting and pushing. It is not the way of the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world.

No. The peace of God which passes all understanding was delivered smack dab onto your lap and into your body because you are baptized into Him and are now joined to His risen flesh. No only so, but you who have been taught of His Supper know He also strengthens you through the same in faith toward God and in love toward one another.
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Turned from Transgression

But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.–I Timothy 1:8-11

There is a significant concurrence on the part of mankind when it comes to good and bad behavior, although in these latter days every effort is made to blur the distinction between right and wrong.

Each and every example from this list of bad behaviors presents self-evident wrongdoing to anyone who has a conscience. It is rare, but not impossible to find someone who “has no conscience,” but even then it is only by appearance, and not in fact, for everyone has a conscience.

This text is read in the Church in connection with the parable of the shepherd who leaves ninety-nine sheep to look for just one, and when he finds it, brings it home with much rejoicing. It is a way of listing out your former life so that you may recognize what you have been rescued from, and know that your dear Savior wants to rescue all from the body of death that would pursue unrighteousness and wickedness to the hilt.

You may want to excuse yourself from this list of wicked behaviors, but it is better to consider it as precisely what your dear Savior came to deal with in His flesh and take away. It is precisely such wickedness that He came to eradicate, first by making payment for its consequence (eternal death), and join Himself in love to those who were once dead in trespasses and sin (eternal life).

The upshot here is that the Law, in the strict sense, is used in its lawful sense when it accuses of sin. In its function as a mirror it is not made for the ninety-nine who are righteous, but for the one who will be sought out in love and rescued from the terrors and consequences of a self-chosen path to destruction. Such were you.

You who are righteous may rejoice in seeing other poor sinners sought out and joined to the Church, and help them in their weakness as you are given to do while living in the same, eternal grace and favor of Christ Jesus, Whose precise and certain joy is to receive sinners to Himself.
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The Goal

But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. –I Timothy 1:5

Goals like these do not come about naturally, but are taught by the Holy Spirit Who testifies of Christ. At the same time, goals like these are not so lofty as to be wholly unattainable, or so mystical as only to be available to people with a certain level of spirituality.

In order for any of these goals to come about there must be instruction. There is a particular set of words with a particular set of meanings that are to be imparted by way of instruction. The content, because it is true and in accord with the Word of God, will yield the fruits that attend to love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Love from a pure heart has its origin in the Creator. So the instruction of the Prophets, Apostles, and now Pastors in the Church have to do with all the Creator says about Himself and the heart of man.

As the benefits of Christ Jesus are preached and applied, faith apprehends and applies them in such a way that hatred and bitterness are cast aside. Love from a pure heart flows forth, albeit often without self-awareness. In fact, the awareness is fixed on the Son of Man Who gave Himself into death out of pure love in order to rescue those who know not love.

Because the benefits of Christ Jesus reach all the way back to your conception and birth, to the present moment, and to the moment you are received into glory, your conscience may be “good,” that is, without fear of holy retribution on account of sin, because that sin has been borne totally by Christ Jesus, Who says in every way throughout this instruction: “Your sin is forgiven. I am the Vine. You are my carefully pruned branch, under my loving care. My righteousness is your righteousness. It is good.”

A sincere faith cannot obtain without the Word of God, so the instruction of the Church is precisely that. The Church and her Pastors do not seek out new teachings to satisfy your curiosity, but again and again return to what has been spoken from the beginning, and what has been spoken in these last days through the Holy Son of God, Christ Jesus. The Word of God does not testify of eternal things with duplicity or uncertainty. It is written. What is written has also been spoken from age to age. Most importantly, it has the Holy Triune God as the Author.

The above are called goals because natural conditions necessitate a change. All of these goals are contrary to you by birth. Yet all of them have been applied to you in Christ Jesus. When you hear these words concerning “the goal of our instruction,” consider it the Church’s way of putting simply to you what is the goal of your gracious Father in Heaven, namely the you remain steadfast in the Faith as He has given it to you for your strength and comfort, and for the good of your neighbor.

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'Tis Written

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. -Genesis 1:1

To the Prophet Moses it was given to inscribe the first verse of Sacred Scripture, along with much more. By the time he inscribed these words, thousands of years of history had transpired.

Some would say this is reason to disbelieve the accuracy of Moses' writing. Wellhausen of old asserted Moses was unequipped for the task because writing was not even possible at the time. Not true. Others would like to infuse fantastic mystery into it all. Not true.

This is what Adam and Eve taught their children, and their children, being blessed from Above passed the truths of creation and salvation along from one generation to the next out of love and care for one another. It was enough in those days for the Word to be spoken and passed along all by itself without being inscribed.

As your Creator ordained from eternity, the time came for the facts of creation and salvation to be written, and Moses wrote them by inspiration of the Holy Spirit just as Adam and his faithful successors, by the grace of God in Christ Jesus, spoke them by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Moses, like you, is a direct participant in the Passover deliverance of Christ's holy people.

It is always the aim of your Creator to present without question Who He is and what He does. He saw fit to inscribe these things at just the right time, and still speaks them to you at just the right time, just as He donned your weak flesh - the flesh of the first Adam - at just the right time, in order to die your death under the Law and raise you up as you are joined to Him through Christ Jesus.

The Church in time has set apart the date of September 4th to commemorate Moses, to whom you are joined in Christ Jesus by faith, by Holy Baptism, and by the Holy Communion Passover.
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That Stuff

Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU" -Hebrews 13:5

Admonitions like this tend to grate the wrong way because you do not have the will or capacity to obey the First Commandment, let alone all the others. But these words are spoken to you as you abide in Christ, so they are not totally alien. They are difficult because there is a constant battle within your flesh between the risen Christ and the Old Adam.

Love of money is pinned to love of wealth and possessions. It is a curious grasping after objects that hounds you like no other hound, as if it is a matter of life or death to have this or that thing.

Since you were endowed with reason and senses with no price tag attached, it is good to take a step back and get some perspective as to what really matters. Priorities in accord with your standing as a creature need to be revealed. They do not come naturally by any means.

There is a promise that attends to all who believe and are baptized, namely that the grace of God in Christ Jesus and everlasting life are completely detached from anything we might claim for ourselves. Since He says "I will never desert you nor will I ever forsake you," that is pretty much "end of story" when it comes to valuing stuff.

Stuff. You grab it. You loose it. You hunt for it. You want more of it. And what does it do? It frustrates. It breaks. It fades. It changes. It keeps your eyes on it.

It is best to think of earthly possessions as tools wherewith to serve your neighbors, whether it be money or other things. Also as objects for which to give great thanks because they are gifts over and above the reason, senses, and birthday suit you received when you were brought into this world.

You dear Savior knows your weaknesses in these things, and He will tenderly admonish you by His Word to let go of them so you can be with Him in the life of the world to come.
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Transient Beings

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. -Hebrews 13:2

Glory and honor in the sight of the Most High God are found in places where you least expect it. Strangers are a case in point.

How difficult it is to turn your gaze away from things and people that are self-chosen delights, and instead turn your attention toward persons who waltz into your life with neither invitation nor plan.

Hidden in that startling body of flesh, blood, and bone that comes out of nowhere is a soul and spirit as unpredictable and incomprehensible as the wind. Who is this person? What do they want? What do they think of you?

For every living body that inhabits space on earth there is need. There is need of food and clothing merely on the surface of things, but more so there is need for these to be applied gracefully and graciously with words of comfort and good cheer.

Since this does not happen when you are looking inward at your own sufferings, this admonition to show hospitality without neglect points to the hidden glory of the recipient, so that you might be encouraged rather than afraid when a stranger enters your world.

Indeed, this is precisely what Christ Jesus did for you as well. Both of you strangers to one another, but He - The Maker of Heaven and Earth and all that is contained therein - took it upon Himself to minister to you and speak words of comfort and good cheer, not merely casting and nod and glance in your direction, but heaping all good things onto your lap and abiding with you as you share in His sufferings for a short while.

The opportunity to show hospitality to strangers will occur as your dear Father in Heaven provides it, for He has established your path already, and by His Word and Spirit preserves you in the same. Your service to angels is known to the Author and Perfecter of your faith, but not to you, and that is how it should be lest pride and boasting enter in.

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Taking Charge

For it is better that it be said to you, "Come up here," Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of the prince, Whom your eyes have seen. -Proverbs 25:7

Asserting oneself into places of privilege and authority does not work out well. Hankering for recognition and adulation is intrinsic to the flesh we inherited from Adam. So you need the Word from Above to set things straight.

It is a matter of order and comparisons. The order of creation requires that distinctions be made with regard to lesser and greater positions. This is not something to fight against, but to understand in light of the Word Who orders all things for the benefit of all.

"It is better" means there is something worse. In this case it is better to be raised up than to raise yourself up.

In the eternal arrangement of things the only thing that can happen is for you to be called upward rather than disgraced. The Holy Son of God, Christ Jesus, came down from heaven to raise you up. First in Holy Baptism. Then in feeding you with His life and righteousness.

Don't bother even trying to raise yourself up and over the Word. It won't work. You'll be more than sorry. You'll be more than unhappy. Rather listen and rest in the LORD of Sabbaoth Who, apart from any merit or worthiness on your part, works constantly on your behalf in both temporal and eternal affairs.

The ultimate expression of this is most clearly made known in the enfleshment, the innocent sufferings, the death, and the resurrection of Christ Jesus. Here we see how God asserts Himself into the lowest position in order to serve His creation.

Now that you are in the presence of the Prince through faith in Christ Jesus, it will be your manner of behavior and concern to put others ahead, and to wait quietly when it comes to positions of authority in temporal affairs, all of which are necessary, but not to be grabbed at as if to make yourself great. You cannot do what your dear Savior has already done for you.